As trends in men’s grooming continue to expand to more unconventional areas, redefining “masculinity” in modern society, guys from all walks of life are becoming braver and more confident in themselves when it comes to looking and feeling good. There is not doubt that the trends will keep growing, especially with new crazes like this little gem – The Manzilian. To those who are unfamiliar with the aesthetician arena, the Manzilian is a male waxing service adopted from it’s counterpart, The Brazilian, first brought to New York City in 1987 by the seven Brazilian-born J Sisters where most or all of a woman’s pubic hair is pulled out by the root using hot wax. Yes, that does sound painful. And believe me, I can now support that from personal experience.
As buzz about the Manzilian kept circling around my head, curiosity began to stir. I finally had a golden opportunity to try it myself from my friend Jay Christmas, owner of Knead You NYC, who challenged me to try the experience and find out if the pain was worth the product. Luckily, I’ve never been one to turn down a good dare.
On the day of my appointment, the first-time pre-waxing jitters were in full force. Like any good aesthetician would, Jay saw my face and assured me that it wasn’t going to be as bad as I was imagining. He showed me to the treatment room where I stripped my bottom half of clothes and laid face down on a pillowed table. Wasting no time, Jay began applying the surprisingly nice feeling wax along the backside, methodically planning his tactical approach. The moment of truth came when he pressed down the first cloth strip, a signal for me to hold my breath as I braced myself. I heard it rip off followed by a slight warm sensation in the area. I exhaled. It wasn’t as bad as I thought it would have been at all. He continued his routine and, after a number more of those kneeling in a table-like pose, he asked me to turn over.
This is where the game changed. As the front is more sensitive for both sexes, a “hard wax” is used instead of the strips to be gentler on the delicate skin in the groin areas. He said he’d leave the top pubic hair alone, much like the “landing strip” version of the Brazilian wax, but the rest of the surrounding hair was coming off. I was mildly relaxed after the back half’s less-than-horrible pain level. But I was sorely mistaken. The first patch of hair came off and my hand instinctively slapped across my mouth to contain the sound that desperately wanted to escape it. Jay looked down and asked if I was OK. After about five seconds and a few blank blinks at the ceiling, I nodded for him to keep going. Even though each progressive pull was less painful, my personal theory on that being that I was simply numb by the end, there is no way to make patches of pubic hair pulling out from their roots simultaneously not painful, no matter what measures you take before or during. That just comes with the waxing package. Prepare for it.
After my 45-minute procedure, my Manzilian was done. A few minutes passed and the residue of the pain was dulling so I looked down to check out my new framework. And yet another surprise happened; I actually really liked the way it looked. It was polished and wasn’t completely bald or alien-looking while maintaining a balance of looking masculine yet clean. With a tinge of soreness still lingering, I clothed myself and thanked Jay for the eye-opening experience. He waved and said to come back anytime, to which I smirked and said, “We’ll see.”
So my conclusion on if the pain is worth the payout? I would say yes. Even though there are moments where your entire body clenches, the confidence boost and breathability it gives after all that, especially for the summertime, was a surprisingly enjoyable feeling. Now, am I suggesting getting one every three weeks like most aestheticians suggest? No, I am not. One full wax should last an average guy the better part of a season. Unless you get your rocks off experiencing brief flashes of pain, this is not something I would suggest for guys to do on the regular. A summer fling? Yes. A lifetime commitment? No.
If you guys think you’re man enough to take the Manzilian challenge yourself, I’d love to hear your thoughts on your own waxing adventure. Email your story to nailingit@pedicure.com and it could be featured in an upcoming post! You know what they say about what doesn’t kill you…. and just in case you feel it will, you can always ask for a biting towel.
Check back here every other Friday for more reviews and tips on how guys are Nailing It when it comes to their grooming.
